The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Pelargonium.times.hortorum known by the varietal name `Red Hots` (Oglevee No. 1395, Breeder No. KB-19-91). The new variety was discovered in a selected breeding program in Connellsville, Pa. on Nov. 19, 1991. The new variety is a selection from the crossing of the commercial variety `Victoria`, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,054, (female parent), and the breeding variety, Oglevee No. 8110, (male parent). Following the cross, the embryo was extracted and grown in tissue culture. The new variety was first asexually reproduced by cuttings at Oglevee, Ltd. in Connellsville, Pa. on Jan. 29, 1992. The new variety has been asexually reproduced by cuttings at Oglevee, Ltd. in Connellsville, Pa. over a several year period. It has also been trial and field tested at Connellsville and has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive propagations.
This new variety exhibits the bright red bloom color of the variety `Victoria` and the dark green foliage color of the male parent. The new variety differs from the parentage in that it has a more vigorous growth habit and is more heat tolerant than either of the parent plants.
The cultivar, when grown in a glass greenhouse in Connellsville, Pa. using natural light and temperatures of 60.degree. F. night and 72.degree. F. day, has a response time of six weeks from a rooted cutting to flowering in a 10 cm pot. The response time was determined on plants grown in soilless media employing constant fertilizer 200 parts per million of nitrogen and potassium in full light. The rooted cuttings were potted on Feb. 23, 1994 and flowered on Apr. 7, 1994 in a 15 cm pot.